This is the sequal to Nesohto if you want a cliff notes version of that story I can pm you one. This will follow the same format of one chapter is an episode. Nice easy chapter to ease you in. Let me know what you think
Kate x
Disclaimer: Dr Quinn Medicine woman and it's characters belongs to whomever owns the rights. I am merely borrowing them and keeping the story going.
Na'nohto
A season 8 story
Bequests and Requests
With a contented sigh he watched his children playing together in the living room he had built five years ago. His carefully hand hewn home, filled with what he craved most in the world, his family. Sully grinned as his three year old daughter clapped her hands with delight as his tall almost a man son coaxed Esmee to reach for the toy in his hand. The baby was just a few days shy of being six months old, his little chunk of a newborn, seemingly turning overnight into a long legged happy baby, as bald as coot, having lost all her hair and with almost the exact same disposition as his older daughter. His two precious blessings. Sully was not inclined to believe in God preferring the spirits of his Cheyenne family but when he saw those two perfect beings he had no choice. Smiling he turned and headed up the stairs, moving towards his bedroom where his greatest blessing resided.
Sully smiled as he entered the bedroom, his vision encompassed by his beautiful wife lying in the bed, her eyes closed, her face a picture of serenity, her hands resting protectively on her extended abdomen. It was true that women became lovelier during pregnancy and with Michaela it was especially true. Her skin glowed, her already lustrous hair took on a shine as it thickened and her belly swelled with their baby. Despite her nature to get involved with everything and push herself too hard, she had done as her doctor ordered, spending 12 hours a day resting in bed, not moving unless she needed to relieve herself. She of course had taken the order in the least unobtrusive way, going to bed at eight thirty or nine and then remaining in bed until her confinement period was over.
She opened her eyes and turned her head to him with a smile, "Have you come to rescue me?" she teased gently. An unexpected medical emergency had led her to be at the clinic until midnight performing minor surgery which meant her time in bed had been put back.
"Sure" he grinned and settled himself on the mattress beside her, his hand moving to stroke the gentle mound of her stomach, his grin widening "You and Bean feeling Ok?"
"Oh we're fine" she sat up so she could lean against his hard torso "I would like to enjoy the daylight though, what's left of it" she looked at him hopefully.
Sully looped his arm around her, his fingers gently tracing the soft contour of her arm. With winter now officially hitting Colorado Springs, the days were almost nonexistent; the light was fading almost as soon as the sun peaked in the sky, as the night time marched towards its equinox.
"You got five minutes" he told her as his other arm returned to stroking her belly. As with her pregnancies with their girls this period of her pregnancy fascinated him, it was the period when her belly began to rise, changing every day, getting a bit bigger every day, stretching her towards the pumpkin like proportions she would take near the end. Every day he got to watch his beautiful accomplished wife have to figure out how to do something a little bit differently and he loved it when she looked thoughtful, how her kissable mouth would twist in concentration and a little wrinkle would appear on her forehead, as the insecurities she felt ran through her mind, especially as it meant he got to give her a warm protective loving hug. He looked down as she grabbed his hand and moved it to the other side of the baby filled dome.
"Do you feel that?" she asked him as she pressed his hand flat against her abdomen. "Bean's moving" she smiled relishing the movement she felt within.
"Nope" Sully sighed slightly, wishing he could feel the baby they had affectionally named Bean. While the baby and Michaela was certainly bigger then when they had first found out and given it its moniker, their baby was still too small for him to feel through her soft yet firm skin.
"A few more days" she gave him a hopeful look "the movements are feeling like proper kicks now, not just bubbles and jerks, only very soft"
Sully grinned relishing the thought of being able to feel his new child "Reckon Bean'll be like Dancer"
Michaela sat up, pulling herself to rest on her knees she faced him "Of course, our babies all love to kick me" she leaned in, kissing him strongly, her lips probing and pulsing as they pressed against his. She broke apart from him with a blissful sigh, flopping backwards to rest on her behind she placed her hand on her belly, her other reaching out to stroke his leg.
Sully gulped back his desire, if it wasn't for his wife's delicate condition he would simply lean forward and engage with her, but the life within her was too precious to risk for a few minutes of bliss that he would be able to experience once the baby had been born and for the rest of their lives together. Eager to control himself he forced himself to change the subject, forcing his mind onto the mundane and away from the stunning woman before him. "Jake came by earlier" he took a calming breath "There's a town meeting this afternoon"
"Oh" Michaela smile dropped "Did he say what it was regarding?"
Sully shook his head, he frowned as he noted her shift in demeanour "You alright?"
"I would like to spend some time with the children, and I'm still feeling a little tired" she admitted
"Then stay in bed a bit longer" his frown deepened as she began scooting over to the side of the bed.
"No" she shook her head "It's a I'm not too tired to be pottering around the house tired, but I am too tired to be dealing with the likes of Jake and Hank" she sighed as she lifted herself from the bed and began moving towards the mirror "It's not like I have a choice, it's my civic duty to..." she stopped as Sully chuckled "Why are you laughing?"
"You're waddling" Sully grinned, a grin that widened as his wife's face pulled into an angry pout and her hands went on her hips,
"I am not" she defiantly stuck her bottom lip out.
Sully climbed off the bed and imitated how she had just walked "Ya did, like this, like a duck"
"Well you are the turkey" she retorted and turned to her reflection.
"Turkey?"
"You don't remember?" she turned her head to look at him quizzically over her shoulder "You strutting like a turkey" she smiled "I remember those conversations from that trip very well"
"What conversations were they?" Sully wrapped his arms around her as she surveyed herself in the mirror.
"About sparking" Michaela smile coyly at him through her reflection.
"Oh yeah, sparking!" Sully's tanned face pulled into a wide grin, he moved his hands, positioning them so that he made a rough heart shape with his thumbs and forefingers surrounded her flattening navel "We got pretty good at sparking,"
"Amongst other things" Michaela smiled and leant back into him, her hands falling to cup her middle "Do I really look like a duck when I walk?" she bit her lip with nervousness.
"Nope, just teasing" Sully kissed her on the cheek "So whatdya feel like ya can fit into today?"
She regarded her figure for a few moments "white and blue check skirt with my white blouse and blue waistcoat" she turned to watch him as Sully moved to get her clothes. "I can do that you know"
"I know" he muttered as he rummaged through her clothes "but I wanna do it" he pulled out the garments she had requested, "James said ya gotta take it easy, so I'm making it my mission ta make sure ya do"
Michaela lowered herself into the chair alongside Jake and gave him a curt nod, her late night had thrown her body clock and even though she had spent the best part of the day resting she felt terribly fatigued. The journey into town had been exhausting, the ground was rock solid with the November cold and her sensitive body felt jarred and chilled. All she wanted to do was curl up in Sully's strong arms in front of the fire.
Loren pushed his way into the already packed church, "This better be good" the storekeeper grumbled as he pulled back his chair "I had to close early"
"Everyone had to close early Loren" Hank muttered as he joined them, slumping into his chair, he gave Michaela a nod before turning his interest to his boot.
"It ain't right" Loren moaned determined to make his point clear "Do you know how much business I could have done in an hour"
"We get it Loren" Jake waved the gavel at him "Didn't want to keep Dr Mike out too late" Michaela looked up at him in surprise, Jake blushed under her gaze "What with her being all ...um"
"Expecting" Loren offered for him at the same time as Hank said 'knocked up"
Jake stifled a laugh as Michaela shot Hank a withering look. "Expecting" he managed to get out between laughter "I didn't want her to be out too late because she's expecting"
"I appreciate your concern Jake" Michaela told him "or more to the point I appreciate Teresa's concern" she raised her eyebrow as the Mayor turned his head embarrassed.
"Sorry I'm late" Robert E ran up the aisle to take his chair "I had to bank down the forge" the blacksmith gave Michaela a warm smile as he sat down "How ya feeling Dr Mike? I know ya had a late night last night"
"I'm well thank you Robert E" Michaela smiled at him, conscious that at the front of the church she was under scrutiny of not only the council members but also assembled townsfolk.
"Right" Jake banged the gavel against the table "Let's bring this to order. As ya all know Red Simmons died last week, his estate is being handled by a lawyer in Denver, who let me know that he has left his stocks and shares to the town in pe..." he squinted at the piece of paper in his hand, "what's that say Dr Mike?"
"Perpetuity" Michaela read for him.
"Right, Perpetuity for civic improvements. The..." Jake paused again as he read the unfamiliar word "divide-nds" he sounded out slowly "from these shares are to be in trust for the town. So all the money that he would have earned this year has passed to the town, and we get it each year until we sell the stock" he looked round the silent room "Anyway the lawyer says that this year what's left is 294 dollars, and next year it will be more. The lawyer will be coming tomorrow to hand over the cash"
As he finished the room erupted with a bombardment of questions about how the money would be spent. Who would decide? Where would it be kept? Who would administer the money? Jake frowned and banged his hammer several times yet the noise in the room could not be abated.
Finally bored of the noise Hank raised his head "QUIET" he bellowed bringing the room to silence in an instant. "Council decides how it's spent" he hissed gruffly as he returned his head to look back at his boots "Money will be put into an account in the bank and the people sat in these seats will decide each year how it's spent, right Jake?"
"Right" Jake nodded "We'll open a separate account for this money, different from the one we use to pay Joe and Rachel" he nodded at the sheriff and new school teacher "It's for civic improvements so it's gonna be spent on stuff which benefits the town"
"Like sanitation" Michaela added "Building roads, improvements to the school. I believe we can assume that there will be a substantial sum, especially if you consider what is left for this year and we could make some significant improvements to the town we might otherwise not be able to afford"
The room fell silent as they took in what the council had said, the council turned in on themselves to discuss how the money would be spent this year. It took a brief discussion but satisfied Jake banged the gavel to bring the meeting back to attention.
"Right, we just decided. The year the money will be divided out to the business owners in the town"
"WHAT!" several of the townsfolk began shouting in anger, "You're all business owners"
Jake banged the wooden hammer a few times to quieten "Shut up! Look them projects Dr Mike was talking about need lots more money then 294 dollars and I don't know about you but I reckon this town is looking a bit raggedy."
Again Michaela interjected "The businesses in the centre of town are used by everyone, therefore any improvements made would benefit everyone. There will be limitations on what the money can be spent on, obviously this money cannot go into the normal accounts and day to day running of the business, but, it can be used to improve the aesthetics of a building, the efficiency of a business or the comfort to the users. For Instance the walkways that are bowed can be repaired, wood can be..."
Jake slammed his hammer down again, making Michaela jump "What Doctor Mike said. Look when we get the money we'll decide what happens all right?" he banged the gavel again bringing the meeting to a close.
Sully moved to Michaela's side, his hand reaching out to comfort her "Jake scare ya?"
"I was somewhat surprised" Michaela smiled weakly and pushed herself upright using the table for support. Once standing she reached to take Esmee from Brian who had joined them with the children. Sully got there first, lifting the baby into his son's arm "I got Dancer, you take Katie and Bean"
Michaela smiled and reached for Katie's hand, the little girl seemed slightly subdued but slipped her hand into her mother's "Sweetheart, where are your mittens?" Michaela frowned as she felt Katie's bare little hands. She crouched down and reached into the pockets of Katie's coat "Brian where are her mittens?"
"I thought she was wearing them?" Brian shrugged.
"Sweetheart" Michaela lifted Katie's chin, as the child had pressed her chin into her chest "Where are your mittens?"
"Inot weared them" Katie responded "Dey at home"
"Oh sweetheart your hands will get frozen" Michaela frowned angry at herself for not checking her daughter was appropriately attired in the rush to get to the meeting on time.
"I sit with you?" Katie looked hopefully
Michaela nodded "Yes I want you to sit with me so I can keep your hands warm. Brian will you take Esmee in the wagon?"Katie's face shifted to smile, her features transformed by the expression.
Sully wrapped his arm around Michaela's back and began to lead her from the church, eager to get her and the children home and into the warm. "Come on then gang lets get your Ma back to bed"
Michaela rolled her eyes slightly "I don't need to go to bed just yet Sully"
"Hey it's my mission" he kissed her lightly "Remember"
"What ya gonna spend the money on Ma?" Brian queried as he took a bite of his eggs.
Michaela swallowed her mouthful and shook her head "I'm not certain yet Brian"
"Maybe you could get that spig graph thing you're saving for" Brian spoke with a mouthful of egg, swirling around his tongue,
"Brian don't speak with your mouthful" Michaela admonished him "I believe the money should be used on more immediate concerns" she reached for a biscuit
"Like what?" Sully asked as he spooned some stewed apple into Esmee's mouth.
Michaela smiled "Like improvement to the waiting area..."
"three" Katie suddenly interjected, she held her hand out, her thumb holding her little finger down so that her three fingers in the middle were up to indicate the number she had just spoken "Mama had three"
Michaela frowned, "I've had three what sweetheart?" she asked confused, her hand running to smooth down Katie's flyaway silky blonde hair.
"Biskit" Katie pushed her half eaten breakfast around her plate.
Michaela looked down at her own plate, bare apart from the torn open biscuit, she blushed not realising that she had indeed consumed the quantity that her daughter had watched her eat "I'm afraid I'm quite hungry this morning"
"Have mine" Katie held out her plate "I not hungery"
Michaela shook her head "No thank you, that's your food, which you must eat"
"But I not hungery" Katie repeated, the little girl looked thoughtfully at her plate, slowly she picked up her spoon and drew a line across her plate, "I eat dat" she pointed at half the plate.
Michaela nodded knowing that it was a battle she would not win "Yes, you must eat that"
"You have that" Katie pointed to the other half of her plate, before Michaela had a chance to protest, Katie picked up the plate and pushed the half she had managed to get out of eating onto her mother's plate. Katie smiled as she looked down at her much emptier plate, carefully she speared a piece of scrambled egg and brought it to her lip. She chewed the yellow food stuff thoughtfully before opening her mouth widely "See Brian empty" she turned back to her mother "Mama you need ta eat", she leant forward and stroked the little bump at her mother's middle "Gotta keep your stwength up"
Michaela shot a sideways look at her husband "I do believe you have been coaching her"
"Nope that's all her" Sully grinned as he simultaneously spooned more apple sauce into Esmee's mouth and a portion of his breakfast into his own mouth. After he swallowed he put down his fork and moved to capture Michaela's hand, he grinned, his wife already munching her way through Katie's food "If ya hungry I can made ya some more"
"No thank you" Michaela looked sheepishly at her second time emptied plate "If we pandered to my stomach I would never leave the table" She stood up "I do believe we should get into town though, goodness knows what's going to happen when this lawyer turns up"
"You gotta be there?" Sully looked at her worriedly as she took his plate.
"Yes" Michaela told him simply as she forced herself to get up from the table and away from the plate of biscuits that seemed to be calling out to her. "Someone has to be there to control what's going on, who knows what would happen if I left this up to say Hank"
Loren pulled open the store doors, and inhaled the frigid air. It was cold but not unpleasant, a crisp cold that accompanied with the low lying sun and the frost that covered the ground made for a rather picturesque morning. He flexed his hands, making sure that the fingers of his gloves were as filled as they could be and began sweeping the walk outside.
"Loren"
The shopkeeper looked up as he was greeted by the 'Seeds and Stuff' owner, Peter O'Leary. "Morning" Loren greeted him returning his attention to his task. He paused as Peter stepped up onto the walk and put his boots in Loren's dust pile. "What do ya want Pete?" he fixed the man with a narrow eyed glare, not in the mood to be bothered as he went about his morning routine.
"Thought maybe we could talk about what we should be doing with this money?"Peter made to put his arm Loren's shoulder.
Loren took a step back seeing where this conversation was going before it had even begun. "I'm busy now Pete" he continued with his sweeping "You'll get what ya due"
"And then it will all go into the pockets of Loren Bray," the other store keeper spat at him.
"Easy now Pete" Loren scowled at the man, "that money's gonna go to a lot of different people, it'll help the whole town"
"Help line your pockets" Pete hissed again he grabbed Loren's broom, pulling it roughly away from the older man "Way I see it I should make it..."
"O'LEARY!"
Both men turned to see Hank striding across the street, his hair streaming behind him as he made his way to the store as fast as his lackadaisical stride would allow him. "I warned ya about this last night" Hank growled as he reached them. She stepped forward and shoved the other shop keeper roughly away from Loren. Hank gripped hold of the broom which was still being held by both men. Loren instinctively let go of the end, letting Hank use it for the purpose of ridding the other man. Hank shoved the shaft of the broom into O'Leary's flabby gut with a snarl "Back off O'Leary. I catch ya trying this again an you're in trouble"
"You can't talk to me like that, who died and left you king" O'Leary tried to save face "I don't have to do anything you say"
"You forfeiting your share" Hank raised one eyebrow, the rest of his body still. His lips barely moving with his words as they clung to the cigar hanging from his mouth. Taking the store owner's silence as an answer Hank shoved the broom again, this time successfully pushing the man off the walk and into the street "Didn't think so" he lowered the bristles of the broom to the ground as he took his cigar from his mouth and exhaled a ring of smoke "That guy's an idiot" he muttered under his breath "You alright?"
"Fine thanks" Loren reached out and snatched the broom back "Could have sorted it out"
"Nah Loren" Hank smirked at him "You're a fine upstanding member of the community" he cocked his head towards the Gold Nugget "I run the whorehouse, me beating someone up is expected. You coming to Grace's?"
"I got the store" Loren resumed his sweeping.
"Forget the store, no one else is opening, all figuring out how to spend their cash" Hank smirked "We gotta figure out how we divvy it out"
Loren shrugged and put the broom against the wall "You got any suggestions?"
"Nope" Hank pulled tightly on his cigar, taking down a lungful of the acrid smoke "Figured I'd leave that to Michaela" he exhaled through his nose "I know she'll have it all planned, I just go along for the ride" he smirked again "Come on Loren, my shout"
Loren raised his eyebrows "You're paying?" he scoffed at Hank
"I just said it didn't I" Hank rolled his eyes
"You've never bought me anything in your life" Loren frowned
Hank raised his shoulders with a smirk "Hey I had a good night, I'm feeling charitable. Take it or leave it old man" he leapt down onto the hard ground and began to make his way across the street.
"Hey" Loren called "Aahhh Wait a minute Hank, I gotta close up"
Michaela strode confidently into the cafe, as expected the men of the council were sat on a table together enjoying some of Grace's wares. Having tried first the store and then the barber shop and finding them empty she had been correct in her assumption that the men would be in the cafe.
"Good morning gentlemen" she paused at the table, her hands moved to stroke her growing belly out of habit but she forced them to hang listlessly by her side.
"Michaela" Hank nodded at her. He quickly stubbed out his cigar on his palm before standing and moving from the chair at the head of the table to the bench alongside Loren.
Michaela watched him curiously before giving him a small smile "Thank you Hank" she sank into the chair, and gave a soft sigh of relief that she hadn't realised she needed to give, her back thanking her for sitting down.
"Morning Dr Mike" Grace sashayed over to her "Can I interest you in some pie? It's pecan"
"I um" Michaela shook her head, having only had her breakfast an hour ago "well maybe a small piece"
"Sure thing" Grace smiled knowingly at her.
Michaela shook herself, not quite believing that she was eating as much as she was at the present moment "I" she forced herself to concentrate on the reason she was braving the chilly open air cafe. "I have come up with a way that we can distribute the money fairly"
Hank and Loren smirked at each other "Thought ya might" Hank told her with a grin. "So how's this going to work?"
"We go by deeds" Michaela told him as Grace came back with her order "That's a small piece?" she was distracted by the size of the piece of pie on the plate.
"Hey Michaela keep with us" Jake chortled at the way the woman was already tucking in to the pie.
Michaela blushed "Sorry, well I realised that we need to distribute it proportionally by the square footage of the properties"
"What now?" Hank stared at her with confusion.
"Well, some properties are larger than others so it would be unfair to just divide it equally amongst all the businesses. On the deed it states the size of the building, the square footage" Michaela explained "Well we would then add up the square footage based on the deeds, and divide the 294 dollars by this number. That amount would be the value of one square foot. The total each property would get would then be equal to their own area" she looked up from her half eaten pie, the men were staring back at her blankly "It's the fairest way"
"Right" Jake shook his head, pushing his hat back he rubbed his temples trying to assimilate what he had just heard. "And you're gonna work this out?" he asked hopefully.
"Actually I was going to suggest James Caulfield, he has no vested interest in any of the businesses and as it was pointed out in the meeting last night, we are all business owners. James would be impartial."
"James sounds perfect" Jake sighed with relief "When could he do it?"
Michaela swallowed her mouthful "I have an appointment with him at 11 I'll ask him then"
"Great" Jake clapped his hands together, he stared at Loren as the older man suddenly rose from the table "Where you going?"
"I gotta go find my deed" Loren called over his shoulder.
"Me to" Hank threw some coins down on the table
"Do you not keep it safe?" Michaela looked up at him curiously
"It's in my filing pile" Hank told her with a grin, "I just ain't done my filing for a couple of years" he smirked as Jake quickly rose.
"Jake" Michaela spoke the mayor's name incredulously
"I knew where it was" Jake told her, adding a coin to Hank's pile "Just when Teresa moved in she reorganised"
Grace moved over to Michaela with the tea pot and poured her a cup "Those men, hard to believe they run the town" she rolled her eyes "You Ok? I mean is everything Ok with little one, for you to be seeing James" she pointed at Michaela's middle.
"It's just a check up" Michaela assured her "I trust you and Robert E have your deeds in a secure place"
"We sure do" Grace grinned at her, she turned as she noticed a customer beckon to her "High up where Freddie can't get to them, I swear that boy gets into everything"
Michaela released her breath as she heard James say the four words she needed to hear most in the world "Well everything appears fine"
"You're certain?" Michaela asked as her colleague moved to sit at her desk to complete his chart
"Yes" James told her with a smile "Maybe a little bigger then with the expected dates, but as it's you I'll let that one slip" Michaela blushed and became very interested in repositioning her skirt to conceal her abdomen. "Oof Apologies My Dear, you are of course glowing. I trust you have been taking the appropriate rest?"
"Yes" Michaela finished repositioning her clothes and lowered herself from the table "I've actually been getting more, when I have time between patients, rather than bring the children down here, I've been going up to them and reading to them in bed"
"Well that's good" James scribbled something on her chart, before shifting out of her chair so that she could sit down "Any concerns at all?" he asked as he pushed her file into the filing cabinet.
"No" Michaela looked thoughtful "Well the amount I'm eating"
"You know the answer here Michaela" James smiled at her "Don't overdo it, try to eat plenty of vegetables, use them to fill you up" he moved to sit next to her on the bench beside the desk "I can just discern the heartbeat"
Michaela smiled down and rubbed her middle tenderly "I know, I did yesterday as well"
"Give it a few more weeks, and it will be pounding away" James patted her hand "You appear to be coping well, no dizzy spells?"
"No" Michaela shook her head
"Good, I intend to keep my promise Michaela, we both know this pregnancy is high risk given your age and the conditions you seemed to suffer from while carrying Esmee, but I am confident the outcome will be what we want, and I will do my best to make sure that happens, as I know you are" James patted her hand again, "as for your request about the invitation to attend the wedding, at present you are allowed to go, subject to you continuing to progress well and allowing me to check you before you leave and the promise that you get properly assessed when you arrive and before you leave"
"Of course, Thank you" Michaela smiled widely. "I do actually have another request" Michaela looked at James hopefully "I trust you heard about the endowment that the town has been left"
"and as an impartial observer" James continued for her with a smile "What would I have to do?"
"Just some calculations" Michaela assured him
James inclined his head "Of course my dear, I will do anything to assist in the process"
Sully stirred as he felt Michaela move from the bed, when the bedroom door did not open he opened his eyes and searched in the gloom for his wife. She was stood over Esmee's cot, staring down at the sleeping baby.
"Caela?" he rubbed his eyes as he sat up "You're supposed to be in bed"
"I know" she turned to look at him "I need to stand, the baby feels like it's cutting off my blood to my leg"
Sully scrambled from the bed to hold her "You ok?" his protective arms encircled her.
"I'm fine Sully" she assured him "It happened with Esmee and Katie as well"
Sully held her for a moment, cuddling her into him, he held her drinking in her smell, intermingled with the smell of the baby only a foot or so away from them in the cot, the smell of his family "Come on" he bent down and scooped her into his arms
"Sully" Michaela chastised him as he settled her into the bed "I need to..."
"You need to be in bed" Sully told her firmly as he lowered himself to the floor, he gave her a quick smile and put his mouth to her belly "Bean give ya Ma a break" he looked up as Michaela exhaled
"It's moving" she whispered to him, she reached for his hand and placed his palm on the curve beneath her belly button. "Do you feel it?"
Sully thought hard, he shrugged "I dunno" he stared intensely at her bump "I might be, but I'm not sure if I'm feeling it because I want to feel it and you're telling me it's moving or because I am actually feeling it" he sighed and rose from the floor scrambling over her to nestled beside her, his head curled into the curve of her neck, his hand moving back to stroke her tummy "What's it feel like for you?"
"It's difficult to explain" Michaela sighed "It's as if I'm being flicked" she lightly flicked Sully on the forearm "Like that"
"You're so lucky" Sully told her as he turned his head and kissed her shoulder.
"I believe it does balance out" Michaela stroked his hair, Sully when he was sleepy seemed so childlike, it was almost as if she was watching Katie but he was a fully grown male. "Back ache and numb legs"
"Your back aches" Sully's head rose again "why didn't you say?"
"It's fairly insignificant"
Sully ignored her and levered her forward, pulling the pillows out of the way he slid behind her, intuitively he reached for her lower back, his fingers working their magic on her under stress muscles, he grinned as he heard her give a moan of contentment "That the spot?"
"Yes" she exhaled breathily.
Sully swallowed her breathy tone calling to him, making him want to act though he knew he couldn't with Michaela in such a fragile state. Instead he had to make do with leaning forward and kissing her shoulder as his fingers kneaded on.
"Sully please don't do that" she raised her fingers to pry his face away from her neck "Despite my aches and pains I am feeling quite libidinous, which because of Bean I can't act on,"
"Libidinous?" he raised his head as she requested, his eyebrows rose as she turned her face to him. He grinned as he took note of her lust laden eyes "Oh" he kissed her cheek "Guess we'll just have to make do with massaging"
"Yes" Michaela sighed "Months and months of massaging"
"Followed by years and years of quenching your libido" Sully kissed her softly
Michaela smiled and repositioned herself so that her legs straddled Sully "I'll hold you to that Mr Sully" she kissed him hungrily
"It's a promise Mrs Sully" he kissed her lightly and shifted her to lie in her place in the bed, carefully he pulled the covers over her, ensuring her warmth and nestled in beside her, his hand moving to stroke the space between her rising belly and tender breasts "it's a promise"
"Good Afternoon Michaela can I join you?"
Michaela looked up from her simultaneous attempts at feeding her daughters to greet Cynthia "Of course" she nodded with a smile "Though I'm afraid you join us in the midst of a battle" she raised her eyebrows towards Katie.
Cynthia smiled and chose her seat beside the little girl "And what have we got here?" the elegant dressmaker picked up the spoon beside the little girl's child sized portion of the food "fried chicken, corn bread, potatoes and corn. Mmm"
"You want?" Katie looked hopefully at her
Cynthia nodded "But I will order a grown up plate" she smiled as the little girl frowned "Oh dear, the wind better not change, else your pretty face will get stuck like that"
Katie looked at her mortified, "Dat true?" she asked her mother, who was smiling with amusement at the exchange between her little girl and the dressmaker.
Michaela nodded, with her daughter occupied she managed to take a mouthful of her own food "It is very nice Katie"
Katie twisted her mouth before sighing dramatically, deep in thought the little girl carefully portioned out her already pre cut food, "I eat that"
"No" Michaela slid slightly more into the portion that Katie had made "You have to eat that"
Katie huffed slightly but nodded and very slowly began to nibble at the food her mother had told her to eat.
Cynthia chuckled slightly "Well that I agree that was quite a battle"
"I pray it's just a phase" Michaela rolled her eyes, the last few weeks Katie had been less than ideally behaved when it came to eating her food. The little girl refused to eat her entire plate, so she had resorted to putting more on Katie's plate to at least make sure that Katie ate enough to keep going, which in turn meant that she herself was eating more, as she more often than not ate the leftovers. Esmee on the other hand had begun to eat 'food' or at least mashed up fruit and vegetables and appeared to be thoroughly enjoying it, evident by the fact that she kept opening her mouth for more. Michaela obliged, spooning some more of the sweet potato mulch into the baby's mouth. Esmee swallowed the orange coloured pulp before dribbling half of it down her chin and giving Michaela a beaming smile.
"I do believe the wee bairn likes that" Cynthia chortled.
"What's wee burn?" Katie asked curiously as she pulverised a piece of chicken.
"Wee means little, bairn means child" Cynthia explained to the little girl "Something you are going to stay if you don't eat your lunch" she smiled at Michaela "Have you thought about what you're going to spend your share on?" she raised her hand to catch Grace's attention.
"I was considering painting the clinic, as Jake so eloquently put it the town is looking 'raggedy' and I fear that the clinic is contributing to that image" she sighed "I was thinking perhaps blue, or possibly yellow"
"Yellow, sounds good" Cynthia mused "It would certainly brighten up a cloudy day"
"That's true" Michaela smiled, and quickly took a mouthful of her own rapidly cooling chicken "and yourself?"
"We are pooling our resources and getting a porch made to cover the walk outside the parade. Do you think Sully would be interested in the work?"
"I can ask him" Michaela offered "I never like to answer for Sully, I'll let you know his decision"
"Michaela you ready?" Sully pushed open the door to the clinic, he smiled as he found it empty knowing that it meant that she was more than likely upstairs with the girls. He stepped inside the clinic and closed the door before moving to the internal door. He frowned as he encountered several large cans of paint neatly stacked beside the internal door. Quickly he bounced his way up the stairs, and made his way to the recovery room which doubled as a nursery, he paused outside as he heard Katie giggling away at something, he pushed the door open. Bemused he stared at his wife, her figure encased in taupe work overalls. "Michaela?"
"Papa" Katie waved at him from the bed "Look Mama got legs"
"Your Mama's got great legs" Sully told the little girl with a wink to his wife, he sat himself on the bed, pulling the three year old onto his knee
Katie wrapped her arms around her Pa "You have good day Papa?"
He smiled at his little girl's sweetness "I sure did, how about you?"
"I readed and drawed and got Esmee to laugh, I made new game, we play later" Katie grinned at him "It called bubble"
"Bubble, How do you play Bubble?" Sully asked unable to prevent the grin that spread across his mouth at Katie's imagination.
"We make bubbles" The little girl wetted her lip and then casually made a film appear across her mouth.
"Katherine Sully!" Michaela admonished her daughter "We do not do that"
"Why?" Katie looked at her curiously
"Because it is not appropriate behaviour" Michaela frowned at her daughter
"Esmee does it" Katie protested pointing at her sister the little girl slid from her father's knee and crawled to the foot of the bed, "She does it all da time"
"Esmee is a baby, she does not know better" Michaela reasoned "You are three, you do"
Katie folded her arms and looked up at her mother with a trembling bottom lip "Now don't cry"
Katie did the opposite of her mother's request, tipping her head back and letting out a fearsome wail.
Michaela stared at her dumbfounded, Katie was always testing the boundaries of what she could and couldn't do, it was part of being a child, but normally the little girl would accept what she was told and move on. Michaela watched mortified as Sully tried to lift their daughter onto his lap but she squirmed away from him. "Katie?" Michaela moved to the bed, lowering herself onto the mattress she succeeded in trapping their daughter between them. "Sweetheart, I didn't mean to upset you, I'm just trying to help you learn, so you can be a big girl"
"I ... don ... wanna ... be a ... big girl" Katie managed to speak between her sobs.
"Why not?" Sully rested his hand on her back, moving it back and forth as he tried to calm her.
"You ... don ... love... me ...proper...wy coz...I not...a...bab...by" the little girl took a shuddering breath "You...only love...Esmee and...Bean" She dissolved into tears again, her tiny body shaking with the force.
Michaela looked up at Sully, her heart broken at the fact that her little girl thought she wasn't loved the same as her younger siblings. With the little girl in such a state Sully managed to scoop her into his arms, he shifted closer to Michaela so that his wife could encircle her arms around their stricken daughter.
"Katie" Michaela lowered her face so that it was level with the child "We love you the same, just Esmee takes more time because she's a baby and I have to lie down a lot so that I don't get sick" she stroked Katie's long blonde hair, smoothing the strands that had worked their way out of her plait.
"Don have special name" Katie mumbled staring at her mother, her deep brown eyes leaking her pain down her rosy cheeks.
Sully blew slowly out of his mouth "Would having a special name make you feel better?"
"Name just from you an Mama" Katie nodded, she snuggled her head into his chest.
"May I venture a suggestion?" Michaela asked after a few moments of contemplation. Gaining a nod from her husband "Twinkle," she continued as she saw the glimmer of confusion pass across Sully's face "because when you smile your eyes Twinkle, like a star or a precious stone" Michaela angled her ring finger letting her engagement ring capture the failing light to add emphasis to what she was saying "You light up my life when you smile"
Sully grinned "I think that sounds perfect. Whatya think Katie?"
"Twinkle" Katie sounded out, she stared at her mother's ring, before a small smile pulled across her face "Yes please, I like dat"
"Twinkle, Dancer and Bean" Sully gave the complete set a test "Sounds good"
Michaela shifted closer still, her leg pressed against Sully's "Katie, I need you know that your Pa and I love you so much"
"We do" Sully agreed "We love having a big little girl"
"Big little girl?" Katie turned her head to look at him
"Coz even when ya like ya Ma and having babies of ya own, you'll still be our little girl" he kissed her head "You'll always be our little girl"
"I love you" Katie responded burying her face in his chest, her fingers tracking over the red and white beads around her father's neck.
"You ready to go?" Sully asked his wife as he looked up from the little girl in his arms, "Sounds like I got a few girls who need an early bed time tonight"
"Almost" Michaela shifted off the bed "I just need to change"
Sully looked her up and down "Why are you wearing those?"
Michaela blushed slightly "I thought you might like them" she told him with a cheeky smile "I got them so I wouldn't ruin any of my clothes"
"This to do with all them paint cans downstairs" Sully asked with a frown. Michaela's answer was lost as Esmee made her presence known. Michaela turned and lifted the squalling infant out the cot and began to quiet her. Knowing that the children needed to get home Sully forced his uneasiness to one side, it was something they could talk about later.
Sully watched Michaela as she held her shift against her small but defined bump to inspect it, this daily ritual had initially began as just her way of holding off her 12 hour confinement for a few minutes but now as she had become more used to the time in bed and she had begun to grow she was doing it daily to check for her inevitable expansion. He knew that there was an element of fear that accompanied this inspection, considering how large she had been with Esmee, and she was terrified of becoming that large again but equally the fear was accompanied by wonder, for although his wife was an incredible physician no one really knew what went on inside of a mother when she grew a baby, and what they did know came from dissection of corpses. While it was incredible to see the outward changes in Michaela he wished, as he knew she did as well, that he could see inside her belly to see what the baby was doing, how Bean was growing.
He tilted his head as Michaela changed position observing herself from the other side. Michaela blushed as she caught sight of him watching her and removed her hands. "Don't be embarrassed, I like watchin" Sully held his arm out for her as she moved towards the bed "It's amazin what's goin on" he grinned to himself, realising he'd probably said this to her before "You're amazing" he cuddled her to him as she sat down
"You always say that" She whispered with a smile "Not that I tire of hearing it" she kissed him sweetly "It must be very draining for you to keep having to reassure me"
"Not draining at all" Sully shook his head, sighing he took his chance, broaching the subject that had been bothering him since he had collected his family from the clinic. "Michaela, ain't ya gonna find it tiring to be paintin the clinic? I know that's what ya want ta do with the money but why don't ya leave it to me and Brian,"
"But there's so much to do, and it's my clinic" Michaela reasoned, she sat up slightly pulling out of his arms "I can do it you know"
"I know ya can, I know ya can do anything ya set ya mind to" Sully told her earnestly "but do ya need to be doin it?"
Michaela raised her eyebrow "How do you mean?"
Sully lovingly reached out and stroked the gentle swell "You know what I mean. Think about it" he rose from the bed, and fluffed her pillows for her "Come on, time for you and Bean to get ya rest" he took her shoulder and helped her to lie back on the pillows. He offered her her book, Michaela took it reactively but he could tell she wouldn't read it her face pulled into an expression of deep consideration. He kissed her softly on her hair line "I'll see you in a bit, gonna spend some time with Brian"
Michaela opened the door to the clinic and smiled, Sully and Brian along with Cloud Dancing and Horace were making a start to the clinic's paint job, the bare wooden walls disappearing under the coat of vibrant yellow paint.
"Sully" She called to her husband, biting her lips she waited for him to turn with the inevitable frustrated look,
Sully turned as he heard her call, he sighed taking in Michaela stood in her newly purchased overalls, paint brush in hand "You made up your mind then"
"The girls are taking a nap"
"What's that got to do with you paintin?" Sully asked her frustrated.
"All I'm going to do is sit on the bench and paint what I can reach and when the girls wake up, I will look after them. I won't overdo it"
"Fine" Sully shrugged knowing there was no point in arguing with her, he knew her too well, she would get defensive and then do more then what she had said she would, tiring herself out, put the baby at risk, put herself at risk, just to prove she was not helpless, as she assumed he thought. He shook his head slightly, Michaela was far from helpless, he just worried for her, because he had no way of knowing how she was actually feeling, and Michaela was very good at hiding behind her medical terminology when she wanted to.
"Fine, that's it?" Michaela looked at him curiously; surprised by the lack of protest.
He nodded "Yep, that's all" he turned to go back to his painting.
"Sully" Michaela called him back.
"It's fine Michaela" Sully muttered picking up his brush "Just do what you feel able"
Michaela looked up as Sully and Brian slumped into chairs around the table where she sat feeding the girls in the lamp lit café.
"We are done" Brian told her as he leaned forward to sneak a piece of Katie's food. His hand retreated as his little sister gave a squeak of displeasure.
"You've done it all?" Michaela looked at her husband and son in amazement.
"Yep" Brian told her proudly "We may have to go over bits though, it was getting a bit dark to see, Right Pa?"
"Right" Sully agreed.
"May I see?" Michaela requested eagerly, a smile blossoming across her face.
"Sure, if ya can" Sully nodded.
"I'll watch the girls" Brian offered, standing so he could take his Ma's seat in between the two small bundled up children.
Sully rose and held his paint fleck hand for Michaela to take, she stood and moved towards him, loosely grasping his hand so that he could lead her to show her their handiwork.
"You're hand is cold" Michaela observed, rubbing her thumb over the cold surface of the back of his hand. "Oh" she exclaimed as they rounded the corner, Sully's hand momentarily forgotten she took a few paces away from him, and took in the sight of her freshly painted clinic "Sully it's wonderful!"
"All we did was paint it yellow" Sully stared at her curiously, wondering why tears had begun to roll down her cheeks
"It looks so wonderful, you've done such a fantastic job" Michaela wiped her cheeks dry
"So why are you crying?" Sully grinned at her
Michaela sighed "It's just the baby" she reached her hand back for him "I just seem to feel things more keenly when I'm pregnant" She took Sully's hand into hers "You're hands are very cold, do you have gloves?"
"They're in the wagon," Sully told her with a smile, relishing in Michaela fussing over him.
She turned herself so that she could press her back into his chest, slowly she drew his hands inside her overalls, bringing them to rest on her shirt covered belly "Caela" he nuzzled her neck surprised by her boldness.
"The stomach is the warmest part of the body after eating" Michaela told him with a small smile, "I'm simply administering preventative treatment"
Sully chuckled at her tone, he opened his mouth to play along when a sensation stopped him "Caela, Is Bean movin?"
"Yes" Michaela smiled as Sully removed one of his hands and moved to kneel before her, his hand still within the front of her overalls cupping her bump. Michaela stroked his hair, marvelling at his awe filled face "Can you feel it?"
"Yeah" Sully grinned at her "It's really real now"
"I was just getting fat before?" Michaela teased him gently
Sully shook his head "No I mean for me it's real now, I can be part of it because I can feel the baby"
"You're always part of it Sully" Michaela gently kissed him, pulling at him gently to stand up "You're part of me,"
"Thank you" Sully whispered kissing her tenderly
"Thank you" Michaela rested her forehead against his chin "Thank you for doing such a wonderful job of the clinic," she wrapped her arms tightly around him "and for taking care of me and Bean"
"It's my mission, remember" Sully rubbed his arms up and down her back "Most important mission I ever had"
